For decades, researchers have been trying to identify the number one cause of diabetes type 1 and type 2. The answer to this question will probably never be found, because diabetes can be caused by so many things, and it is really not a disease in itself. It is a syndrome, or a group of diseases that brings about a prolonged state of hyperglycemia. This is an elevated blood glucose reading. The number one cause of diabetes may just be age, since the longer you live, the more likely you are to become diabetic, especially with type 2 diabetes.

 

What Does Cause Diabetes?

 

While the number one cause of diabetes may be elusive, it can be helpful to dispose of some of the myths about causes diabetes. Surprisingly, when asked about the number one cause of diabetes, many adults will respond with something about eating too many sweets, or the wrong kinds of food. In fact, this is not a cause of diabetes at all. Stress doesn’t cause diabetes either, and it isn’t contagious, so it can’t be caught. Some of these myths may persist because these factors may cause diabetics to lose control of managing their diabetes.

Eating too many sweets, for example, may contribute to obesity which is a risk factor for diabetes. And although stress is by no means a number one cause of diabetes among adults, it does make a diabetic’s condition worse. And while it isn’t contagious, there is a heredity factor that increases the risk of developing diabetes. There are also higher rates of diabetes in people of certain ethnic backgrounds than others.

Other risk factors are known to increase the chances of developing diabetes, but none of the following could be considered a number one cause of diabetes:

  • Increasing age (getting older)
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Obesity (often the result of a poor diet)
  • Pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
  • A condition that causes the pancreas to be damaged (the pancreas produces insulin)
  • Use of some drugs (steroids, thiazide diuretics, Dilantin, alloxan)
  •  Infections with some virus and bacteria types (for type 1 diabetes)
  • Autoimmune reactions due to exposure to cow’s milk as an infant (for type 1 diabetes)

 

It would be nice if a number one cause of diabetes could be found, as it would make it easier to prevent. But until then, the best that can be done is to reduce as many of the risk factors that you possibly can.